By Wadza Botomani
Lilongwe, July 24, 2025 – The newly announced alliance between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) is less a strategic masterstroke and more a last-ditch effort by two fading political forces to remain relevant. While the DPP sells this partnership as a game-changer, the reality is stark: this alliance lacks the numbers, unity, and vision to unseat President Lazarus Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the September elections.
No Electoral Weight Behind the Hype
AFORD, once a formidable force in the 1990s, has been reduced to a regional footnote, holding just one parliamentary seat . Its support is confined to the northern region, which, while symbolically significant, lacks the voter base to meaningfully shift national results. Political analyst Wandeful Mkuntche aptly dismissed such alliances as “noise without numbers,” pointing out that neither AFORD nor the DPP’s other minor partners bring substantial electoral clout . With Malawi’s 50+1 threshold requiring broad national appeal, this partnership is mathematically insufficient to secure victory.
A Divided Opposition Guarantees MCP’s Win
The opposition’s fatal flaw is its fragmentation. While the DPP scrambles to cobble together minor alliances, the absence of a united front—particularly one including the United Transformation Movement (UTM)—dooms any chance of defeating Chakwera. As political analyst Lyson Sibande argued, a DPP-UTM alliance was the only viable path to victory, but internal power struggles and distrust killed that possibility . Instead, the DPP’s hunger for control has led it to embrace weak partners, ensuring vote-splitting that will only benefit the MCP.
Opportunism Over Policy
Enock Chihana’s sudden enthusiasm for an alliance reeks of opportunism. Despite his claims of selflessness, his party’s dwindling influence suggests he is angling for a vice-presidential slot—a position he could never secure through AFORD’s own strength . Meanwhile, the DPP, desperate to reclaim power, has prioritized political survival over substantive policy solutions for Malawi’s economic crisis. This alliance offers no clear agenda beyond removing Chakwera, a tactic voters have grown weary of.
Conclusion: A Predictable Failure
This alliance is dead on arrival. Without UTM’s votes or a coherent policy platform, the DPP and AFORD are merely delaying the inevitable—another MCP victory. Malawians deserve better than recycled power struggles; they need a united opposition with a real vision. Unfortunately, this partnership is not it.
